


Fallsen

by Zoozleplug (Josie_Lynn)



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 15:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josie_Lynn/pseuds/Zoozleplug
Summary: Fallsen is a small town in the middle of nowhere, home to some of the richest and wealthiest that no one had ever heard of. But when tragedy strikes, everything falls and no one can repair what’s been broken.





	1. Chapter 1

Arin struts down the hall, heels clicking against the linoleum and head held high as the crowds parted for him. This was nothing new for him. He was Arin Hanson, one of the richest and most popular students in the school. Hell, he was the richest in the entire  _ town _ . It was almost considered illegal to not move out of the way for him.

“Move it, peasants,” he hisses, shoving through two jocks that are stood in front of his boyfriend, Barry.

“Hey, Ar Bear,” Barry smiles, opening his arms for a hug before Arin pushes Barry into the lockers and kisses him, long and passionate. Barry's cut off, and Arin pulls Barry’s hips against his own.

“Well, someone’s excited to see me.” Barry chuckles once Arin pulls away, wiping at his lips.

“Of course, Barold,” Arin pats his cheek, “I’m always excited to see my teddy bear.”

“Well that’s sweet, but you know that you don’t have to mouth fuck me in front of the entire student body every time we see each other.” Barry shrugs, shouldering his backpack and beginning his trek down the hallway, Arin on his arm and his two cronies watching his back.

“Oh sweetie,” Arin chuckles, “If I were mouth fucking you, you know it’d be a lot less sweet than that was.” Arin winks at Barry, who gives off a nervous laugh.

“I know, but still,” he trails off, ceasing his speaking as Ross O’Donovan shoves his own way through the crowd to approach the couple.

“Barry!” He exclaims, giving him his best smile before scowling at Arin. “Oh, it looks like you’re preparing to take the trash out.” he quips.

“Oh please, I thought we took you out  _ months _ ago,” Arin retorts, “You just keep coming back like a virus.”

“What can I say,” Ross puts his hand on his hip, “I tend to be in pretty high demand, so you can never really knock me off.”

“High demand, yes,” Arin taps his finger against his chin, “I have heard that the linebackers have been taking turns blowing your back out in the locker room after hours. Is that what you consider to be ‘high demand’?”

“Oh go fuck yourself, Hanson,” Ross rolls his eyes, “it’s bad enough you’re corrupting Barry with your trashy ways.”

“Guys,” Barry cuts between the two, putting his hand in Arin’s and giving it a light squeeze, “Cut it out, please?”

Both boys glare at each other. If looks could kill, they could have been committing mass murder.

“Fine.” They say in unison. Ross leans in close to Arin.

“This isn’t over, Hanson,” He hisses, twirling around the two and wiggling his fingers, “Ta-ta, you two.”

“God, how can you stand being friends with him?” Arin questions as they continue their walk down the hall, the eyes of their fellow peers locked on them as they go.

“Ross is a good guy, he just has a temper on him.”

“A temper sounds like a fucking understatement,” Arin rolls his eyes, “It’s whatever though, because we won’t have to worry about him at all come this friday.”

“What’s so special about Friday?” Barry asks, puzzled. Arin stops, grabbing Barry’s shoulder.

“Did you forget?” Barry shrugs, and Arin huffs, annoyed. “It’s my parent’s anniversary party. They’ve invited the best of the best in Fallsen, and I managed to convince them to let your family on the list.”

“Holy shit, are you serious?” Barry was surprised. He’d been with Arin for so long, and not once had him or his family been invited to a Hanson function as prestigious as this one.

“Really. It took some sucking up and some forgery, but your family’s in, and Ross’s is out.”

“Wait, what?” Barry frowns.

“Yeah, The O’Donovans are nice and all, but to make room for your family, somebody had to go. It’s only fair that the twink’s family be axed to make way for my wonderful boyfriend’s family.”

“Arin, that’s not very nice.” Barry scolds.

“Who cares, they’ll be at my parent’s next big party, there’s no big deal about cutting them out of one.” Barry shakes his head.

“Ar, I’d feel bad about Ross and his family not being invited, especially if I’m there.”

“So what,” Arin says, “it’s just how things go in this world sometimes.” He begins his stride back down the hall before Barry grabs at his hand, pulling him into an empty classroom close by.

“Arin, you shouldn’t do that to Ross and his family, put them back on that list.” Barry demands.

“Barry,” Arin frowns, ripping his hand out of his grip, “I don’t get why you’re making such a big fuckin’ deal out of this. You’re in, they’re out. It’s how life goes, now stop bitching about it and just be happy.”

“I can’t be happy about that,” Barry exclaims, pointing towards the classroom door, where a small crowd has formed to watch, “I can’t be happy about you axing my best friend out of all the other rich snobs that attend your parent’s parties.”

“Excuse me?” Arin hisses, taking a step towards Barry. “Rich snobs? Is that what you’re boiling me and my family down to?”

“Arin,” Barry sighs defeatedly, “You know that’s not-” Arin raises his hand to silence him.

“I don’t want to hear it.” He says finitely, “If you think we’re such rich snobs, then I’ll take my rich snob ass out of this relationship and place you out of my life.”

“Arin!” Barry says, but he doesn’t get another chance as Arin storms out of the classroom, causing the crowd to quickly dissipate. Barry curses to himself under his breath and places his hands in his hair. What a fucking mess he put himself into.

…

“Arin, is it true?” Holly Conrad slides herself into a seat on the bleachers beside Arin during lunch, her pink hair strung up high in a messy ponytail and her glasses slid down to her nose.

“Is what true?” He responds, taking a bite of the licorice whip he held between his fingers.

“About you and Barry splitting up?” Holly whispered to him, “It’s been the talk of the halls ever since this morning.”

“Ugh,” Arin groans, “That mess. Listen, Hols,” Arin scoots closer to her, “I didn’t break up with him, we just had a fight and he said some things he didn’t mean. For all he knows, I’m suggesting a short 6 hour break from our relationship while he gets his mind together and apologizes to me like real men do.”

“What did you guys fight about?” Holly inquires.

“About my parent’s anniversary party. I told him that I managed to get him and his family on our guest list this year.”

“Oh, well that’s exciting!” Holly chirped, “But why would he be so upset about that?”

“Ugh, okay, get this,” Arin swings his leg over the side of the bleacher to face Holly directly, “So you know how tight-knit our guest list is, right?” Holly nods, “Well, because of that, I had to suggest a family to be cut. So, I cut out Ross’s family, but who cares about that little twink and his family showing up at my parent’s anniversary soiree?”

“Wait, you kicked Ross’s family out of the party?” Holly asks. Arin nods.

“It was either his family or Dan’s, and I actually like Dan’s family, so it wasn’t too hard of a decision.”

“But Arin,” Holly frowns, “Ross is Barry’s best friend, that’s not nice of you to just kick him out of the party.”

“Oh god,” Arin groaned, “Not you too.”

“What?” Holly sputtered, “What do you mean?”

“Barry said the same thing, that it’s not nice of me to kick Ross out of the party,” Arin snapped, “But why would it matter, it’s  _ my _ family’s party, so  _ I _ get as much say in the guest list as anyone else does.”

“I know that, Arin, but,” Holly tries to reason, but Arin stands up and stamps his foot on the seat, causing the skirt he’s wearing to hike up on his thigh ever so slightly.

“But  _ what _ ?” Arin whispers, staring down at Holly. Holly shakes in her seat, in fear of Arin’s wrath.

“...nothing, Arin.” She says dejectedly, clutching her books to her chest tightly. Arin nods and sits back down in his seat.

“That’s what I thought.”

…

“Mom, Dad, do I really have to be here?” Suzy Berhow asks as she was sat in the backseat of her parent’s car. Her father, sat at the steering wheel, turned back to her, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

“Suzanne, sweetheart,” he begins, pushing his glasses up on his face, “You know that you need to be kept low-profile, so that means coming to this school.”

“Besides, dear,” her mom turns to look at her as well, her blood-red lips stretched over a pearly-white smile, “The principal said that there are a lot of wealthy families living here, and that their children are going here, so it’ll be just like in LA.”

“But it’s not LA, so how does that make it any better?”

“It makes it better because at least here, no one knows about your little reputation.” Her mom’s gaze darkens for a moment before she’s back to being bubbly. Suzy rolls her eyes and grabs her backpack from beside her.

“Fine,” she says, “But if I get expelled the first day, it’s not my fucking fault.”

“Language, young lady!” Her father barks from his seat, “You are a Berhow, have some respect.”

“Ah yes, because you’ve both done so much to earn my never-ending respect.” Suzy says sarcastically, attempting to push the car door open, but failing as it locks on her. “Dad, come on, let me out.”

“Suzanne.” He says sternly, and she groans and turns to face him, “Things are going to be different here. And in order for them to be different, that means you have to  _ act _ like you’re our daughter, regardless of what happened in LA. You got that?” Suzy huffs.

“Sure,” she says, “Whatever.”

“We’re trying to do what’s best for our family.” Her mom says, not bothering to turn and face her, “And if that means lying and pretending, then so be it.”

Suzy taps her fingers against her thigh, giving the impression to her parents that she was processing their words, when in reality she was just waiting for the right opportunity to hop out of the car. Once the silence ebbs on for a few seconds too long, she sighs.

“I’ll be well-behaved.” She says, “And I’ll keep quiet.”

“Good girl.” Her parents say in unison.

“Have a good day.” Her father says, unlocking her car door. Suzy wastes no time hopping out and slamming the door behind her. She strides confidently to the entrance of the school, taking a deep breath before she puts her hand on the door.

“Keep quiet and pretend, keep quiet and pretend,” she repeats to herself before she opens the door and walks inside the school.

…

Dan’s having a hard time paying attention today, finding that his mind is focusing more on something else. Or more importantly,  _ someone _ else. Someone who just so happened to be strutting down the hallway and stopping right in front of his locker.

“Hey, Leigh.” Arin says playfully, “You all set for Friday night?”

“Heh, yeah, totally,” Dan says, cracking a smile as he peers up at Arin. God, the heels he wore always made him just a few inches taller than Dan, even though they were the same height. It was mesmerizing, still, to watch Arin walk in them with no problem. It was almost like a skill that Arin was so good at walking in heels.

“Awesome, because Barry’s gonna be there too.” Arin bites his lip, “It’ll be super fun with you both being in the same room, right?” Arin laughs, poking Dan’s shoulder.

“Oh god, really? Barry’s gonna be there?” Dan frowns. Barry’s family had never been invited to the Hanson anniversary parties, mainly because the Hansons were never very fond of Barry’s family. Even when their sons began dating, it had done nothing to alleviate the supposed hatred of each other.

“Yeah, I was able to fit him in at the cost of cutting out another family. Totally gonna be worth it, though.” Arin leans his shoulder against the locker and gives Dan a knowing look. Dan catches his eye and his breath catches in his throat. God, Arin was beautiful.

“What family got the axe?” Dan asks curiously.

“Ross’s family,” Arin shrugs. “they're not a huge guest, so it's not like they'll be missed.”

“You cut Ross's family?” Dan says, puzzled. Arin nods knowingly.

“Yeah, and everyone's been making such a big deal out of it for some reason. Like come on,” Arin turns so his back is pressed against his locker, “they’re at every one of my family’s parties. That’s one of the reasons I hate their twink son now.” Arin’s voice trails off with a snarl at the mention of Ross.

Dan understands the struggle of dealing with Ross. They had dated for a while back in sophomore year, when Dan was still trying to figure himself out. What a mess that had been.

“And  _ god _ , not to mention his spider vein riddled mother,” Arin’s voice fades back in, and gets cut off by the sound of a body hitting metal.

“Don’t you  _ ever _ put your grubby little hands on me again, you fucking piece of garbage,” A girl dressed in dark clothes hisses at a boy. She didn’t look familiar to neither Dan nor Arin.

“Who the hell is she?” Arin whispers to Dan. He shrugs in response, and they both stare in awe as she marches down the hall, her walk almost as powerful as the aura she was giving off.

“She must be new, I’ve never seen her before.” Dan offers, eyes still trained on her as she gets closer. She locks eyes with him, and gives a smile that has both Dan and Arin blushing madly.

“Keep your mouth closed,” She says to Dan directly, placing her hand under his chin and pushing it up, “It’s not ideal for your mouth to be that open unless you’re expecting something to go in.”

“Same goes for you,” Arin snaps, pushing himself between the two, “keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself and you won’t risk getting your throat fisted by my own hand.”

The girl laughs, fucking  **_laughs_ ** in Arin’s face, but obliges in taking her hand off Dan’s chin.

“Relax, Male Barbie, I’m not trying to steal your favorite boy toy.” She wipes her hands on her skirt, “besides, I’d rather spend my time fucking literally everyone else but him if it meant I’d never have to cross your pageant path ever again.”

Arin shoots a piercing gaze at her as she continues her way down the hall, looking back one last time and winking to Dan before turning the corner.

“Who the hell does she think she is, touching you like that?” Arin leans back against the lockers and looks to Dan for his response. Dan’s face flushes red as he touches his chin, a smile cracking on his lips.

“I dunno,” Dan says dreamily, “I like her though.”

“Ew!” Arin shoves Dan out of the way, “You like that Living Dead nightmare? She looks like she popped out of a Tim Burton movie.”

“I think it’s a nice style.” Dan smiles. Arin groans in disgust.

“See, this is why you need a friend like me around,” He replies, shutting Dan’s locker for him and grabbing his arm, “To teach you what real style is, not that drab shock value bullshit.”

“But-“ Dan begins, but Arin presses his fingers against Dan’s lips.

“No Buts, unless we’re talking about how  _ amazing _ mine is.” Arin smirks, and then he’s pulling Dan down the hall and out of sight of others.

…

Holly usually sits right in the middle of the classroom. She liked it this way, as it didn’t put her in the direct eye of the teacher, but it also kept her from what she deemed to be the ‘bad apples’ of the class. The ones who stuck gum in her hair in elementary school and then once in sophomore year.

Today wasn’t meant to be any different, yet when she arrives in Mr. Wecht’s class, there’s someone already in her seat. Someone unfamiliar. Their body is turned to stare out the window at the bleak skies, not noticing Holly march over to them.

“Um,” Holly mumbles as she walks up to the stranger, “you’re in my seat.”

“Oh am I?” The stranger says, turning with a flourish of hair that seems to effortlessly fall on their shoulders. Holly’s breath catches in her throat as she takes in the stranger before her.

She's dressed in dark clothing, nearly identical to the Bad Apples Holly had grown accustomed to, but this outfit was clean, put-together. Her skin was pale with a soft glow to it, and the smile she gave was mesmerizing, catching Holly off guard and causing her to sputter out her next words.

“Y-yeah,” she gets out with too much effort, “I usually sit here,” She points to the seat in question.

“Do you now,” the girl says sweetly, “Well you wouldn’t mind if I stayed here? Just for today?” Holly shakes her head in protest.

“I’m sorry but no.” The girl furrows her brow, disappointed.

“Why not?”

“I already told you,” Holly points at the seat, “And I don’t want to have to tell you again.” There’s a biting tone to her words, and this causes the girl to stand, towering over Holly in a way she hadn’t been expecting.

“And I don’t want to have to ask you again to let me sit here.”

“I guess we’re both not asking each other again until something happens.” The class is quiet, watching, waiting for something to happen. Holly stares up at the girl, eyebrows furrowed and her stance powerful. The girl stares back down at her, eyes dark and menacing.

The class door slams open and the teacher strides in, head held high as he looks over his class and sees Holly standing off with the new student.

“Holly, sit down, it’s time for class.” Mr. Wecht says as he sets his bag down on the desk.

“The new girl is in my seat.” Holly complains, eyes not leaving her face.

“She shouldn’t be in a seat yet,” Mr. Wecht frowns, “You’re Ms. Berhow, I assume?” The girl nods. “Then come to the front of the class, please.” The girl rolls her eyes and shoots a menacing glare back at Holly as she struts to the front of the class, heels clacking loudly on the floor as she goes.

“Introduce yourself, please.” Brian waves out to the class. She arches an eyebrow.

“What is this, middle school?” She retorts. Quiet chuckles bounce throughout the classroom.

“No, but this  _ is _ a classroom and if you wanna stay on my good side, you’ll follow directions,” Brian whips back. She turns and begins batting her eyes, but Brian puts a hand up, halting her actions, “That lash thing won’t work on me. Just say your name, unless you’ve managed to forget it.”

“Fine.” She huffs, turning back to the class, “My name is Suzy. Suzy Berhow.”

“Hm. A Berhow? Here in Fallsen?” Brian questions.

“You know my family?” Suzy turns to Brian, who nods slowly.

“Of course I do,” Brian points to an empty seat conveniently behind Holly, “I also know that neither Berhow nor Conrad is going to make a fuss in my class about seating arrangements. This is high school, not day care.” The class muffles their laughter and both Holly and Suzy look embarrassed, Holly more so as she buries her head in her arms.

“Yes, sir.” Suzy says.

“It’s Mr. Wecht. Now go sit so we can get started.” Suzy walks to her seat, and catches the eye of Holly as she goes. They both give a look of resentment, but there’s something behind Holly’s that’s softer, genuine.

Suzy can’t deny that she likes it.

…

The day comes and goes and it finds Arin in a compromising position. More accurately, in a compromising location.

“Why couldn’t you wait to come talk to me?” Barry frowns as Arin drags him out of the locker room shower, pulling him into a quiet corner.

“Because Arin Hanson hates waiting,” He scoffs, “Besides, why did you wait this long to come talk to me about what you said this morning?”

“What did I even say?” Barry asks, confused.

“You called me and my family ‘rich snobs’,” Arin says, “Do you seriously not remember that?”

“Arin, I wasn’t calling you a rich snob.”

“It sure fucking sounded like it.” Barry takes Arin’s hand and squeezes it.

“Arin, you know I don’t think you’re a rich snob,” He rubs the back of Arin’s palm with his thumb, “I care about you, a lot, even if you can be a little mean sometimes.”

“Aww.” Arin kisses Barry’s cheeks, “You’re sweet. Does that mean you’re sorry about what you said?” Barry sighs again, knowing there wasn’t much of a way out of this.

“Yes, Arin. I’m sorry about what I said,” He turns his head and meets Arin’s lips for a quick kiss, “I love you. Are we good now?”

Arin hums in delight. “Yes, we are. Now get dressed, I’m only down to see your boner in the privacy of my bedroom.”

“That’s not true and we both know it.” Barry follows up, and Arin plucks him playfully.

...

Arin and Barry exit the locker room, a solemn air amongst them. Within seconds, Ross is marching down the hall, each step a painful echo as he makes his way to the pair.

“Who the  **_fuck_ ** do you think you are, Hanson?” He stands directly in front of Arin, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

“A bad bitch,” He shrugs, “Why do you ask?”

“No,” Ross growls, “You’re a fucking cruel bitch. You kicked my family out just so you could fucking invite Barry?”

“Yes, I did.” Arin says without a lick of remorse in his voice.

“What the fuck gave you the right to do that?” Ross demands, stamping his foot on the ground.

“Because I’m Arin, I do whatever I want,” Arin laughs haughtily, “We’ve been over this before.”

“You don't get to fucking axe my family, my parents won’t allow it.”

“Just like your mother allowed the mayor to dick her down three nights a week for 2 years straight?” Arin smirks and Ross gasps, throwing a hand over his chest. “I’m sure with that information under my belt,  _ your _ parents will allow me to do anything.” Ross’s hands clenched into fists and he looks like he’s ready to swing, but Barry steps between them.

“Guys, stop this, now.” Ross pushes against Barry as an attempt to get to Arin, who stands still with his lips curled into a sadistic smile.

“No, let Ross stand up for himself. I’m sure he doesn’t have much experience with not being on his knees.”

“Oh, fuck you!” Ross shouts, “Like you’re not the biggest whore this school has ever fucking seen!” Arin narrows his eyes. Pushing Barry to the side, he takes a step to Ross and towers over him, glaring down at him.

“You and your family are the real whores of this town, you fucking twink,” Arin’s eyes go dark as he speaks, “Your family is nothing compared to my own, your only importance in this town is the dignified whorehouse your family owned in the late 1800s.”

“That’s-” Ross stutters, but Arin keeps going.

“That’s what?” Arin squints his eyes, “I hope you’re not going to say it’s impossible. You and I both know that it’s so fucking true and it’s something your family wants to erase, but not without my family’s help, remember?” Ross’s bottom lip quivers, and Arin knows he has him where he wants him.

“Arin, that’s enough.” Barry deadpans.

“My family and I  _ own you _ , O’Donovan,” Arin whispers, just loud enough for only Ross to hear him, “Don’t you ever fucking forget that.” Ross stares wide-eyed at Arin, mouth agape. He takes a few steps back before he turns and rushes down the hallway. From the end, they can hear the faintest choked sob, and Arin’s wicked grin stayed plastered on his face.

“Arin.” Barry glares at Arin, and his smile drops to be replace with a look of frustration.

“What?” he says, “It’s not like I didn’t say anything true.”

“You just don’t understand, do you?” Barry says, shaking his head disappointedly.

“What’s there to understand, Barry, he’s a fucking overexcited twink who keeps forgetting his fucking place here.” Arin hisses.

“I think you’re the one forgetting your place, Arin,” Barry frowns, “And hopefully you find it soon. I can’t deal with this.” Barry throws his hands up in defeat and walks away, leaving Arin alone in the dimly lit hallway.

“Barry?” He calls out as he walks away. “Barry, get back here! You don’t get to do this, you don’t get to break up with me!” Barry keeps walking, and Arin stamps his foot.

“Fine! Be that way! I don’t need you in my life, I’ll be fine without you just like I was before you!” He calls out.

…

Suzy can’t lie about hating her new town, even a few days in. Sure, her new home was a lot nicer than what she’d expected it to be (the town was nicer than she expected it to be), but that didn’t lessen her feelings. Fallsen felt different from the rest of the world. It felt like its own world, in Suzy’s opinion.

“Suzanne,” her mom knocks on her bedroom door, “I’m coming in.” Before Suzy can protest, her mom is entering the room with a flourish and Suzy is burying her face in her hands.

“Mom, can you wait until I allow you to come in,” Suzy waves her hands around, “before you just come waltzing in my space? I could have been naked, or with someone, or naked with someone.”

“Please, darling,” her mom rolls her eyes, “Lord knows you wouldn’t be able to pull anyone here that fast. I’ve heard about your rep.”

“Mom!”

“Calm down, darling,” Her mother waves her hand dismissively, “That’s the past and we’re putting that behind us, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Suzy lays back in the bed, arms spread out and head angled towards the bleak ceiling, “We’re here to be ‘new people’ or some bullshit.”

“Language, young lady!” Her mother hisses.

“Sorry.”

“Suze, I know you hate that we’re here,” She sits on the edge of the bed and places her hand above Suzy’s, “But we’re doing this for your own good. It’s not safe in LA for us anymore.”

“You still won’t tell me what happened, will you?” Her mother shakes her head in response. “Of course not. You guys never tell me anything.”

“You’re not ready for that information, sweetie,” Her mom tells her.

“When will I be ready?”

“You’ll know.” She pats her hand twice before standing up and walking towards the door.

“That totally doesn’t sound ominous.” Suzy responds sarcastically. Her mom turns and gives her a mischievous smile.

“By the way,” she says as she opens the door, “We’ve been invited to a party this Friday.”

“Already? We’ve been in this town for like a week, how do you guys work so fast?”

“They’re an old family friend,” She taps her fingers against the door, “Their son goes to your school and apparently gave word that you were going there. They reached out to us, we got to talking, and now you’ve got us into one of their most esteemed galas, so to speak.”

“Who’s the son?” Suzy narrows her eyes as she lifts herself up from the bed.

“His name is Arin Hanson. Says you threw a kid against the locker the first day and flirted with some kid he was friends with.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Suzy mutters under her breath, “Do I have to go this ‘gala’ as well?”

“Yes. And no, you don’t have a choice. Goodnight, sweetheart.” Her mom exits the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving Suzy to grab a pillow and yell into it.

…

When Arin steps into the cafeteria, he immediately catches sight of Barry, who’s sat at a table of boys that Arin vaguely remembers. Barry catches sight of him as well, but he stays sat in his seat. Arin’s chest tightens, but he ignores it. No time to be sad when he’s on Hanson family business.

Strutting through the cafeteria, Arin scans the room until he finds her: Suzy Berhow. She’s sitting alone, picking at her food with a bored expression. He walks over to the table, slamming his hand on top of it and startling her.

“What the fuck, Prom Queen?” Suzy hisses.

“Why is  _ your _ family invited to  _ my _ family event?” He demands.

“If I knew exactly why, I’d tell you,” She says, “Fortunately I hate it as much as you appear to.”

“Of course I hate it! I had to pull a lot of strings just to get Barry’s family in, but you and your family arrive in from Buttfuck, Nowhere and think you have any chance of being on our list?”

“Calm your tits,” Suzy raises her hand to halt him, “I didn’t even want to be at your stupid party. You’re the one who brought my name up to your family and had them calling my parents.”

“Over what, you tossing some nerdy cunt into a locker? Why would that even be important?”

“Who fuckin’ knows,” Suzy shrugs, “But it got your parents attention apparently, and now here we are.”

“This is total bullshit,” Arin huffs, “I shouldn’t have to deal with the new kid. I already tossed out the twink, this is probably God punishing me.”

“Or just karma biting you back in the ass,” Suzy points her plastic fork in his direction, “But who am I to want to correct you on something you seem to believe so deeply.”

“Don’t be a fucking smartass,” Arin growls, “I could end you and make it look like an accident.”

“I’d love to see you try.” Suzy narrows her eyes, and Arin does the same. They spend a few seconds glaring at each other before Arin huffs again.

“Whatever,” he says dismissively, “You can come. But don’t speak to me, don’t speak to Dan,  _ definitely _ don’t speak to Barry, and don’t speak to Holly.” Suzy perks up at the mention of Holly.

Her mind had been stuck on that interaction all week, and she always found herself catching the girl’s eye. The looks Holly gave were always piercing with a hint of mystery, something Suzy found fascinating.

“Holly’s gonna be there?” She says, a bit too excited.

“Now’s the time for you to calm  _ your _ tits, Berhow, Holly’s not interested.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know that look in your eyes,” Arin smirks, “That’s the look of someone who’s got the Hots for my best friend.”

“Holly’s your best friend?” Suzy asks, bewildered. “Seriously?”

“Since birth, bitch,” Arin sneers, “And as her best friend, it’s my job to protect her from trash like you.”

“Surprised you’re not protecting her from you, considering you’re the loudest pile of garbage I’ve ever had the pleasure to interact with.” Within seconds, Arin is grabbing at Suzy’s collar and pulling her close to him.

“Fucking  **_watch it_ ** .” He growls into her face. The cafeteria has grown quiet at this point, watching in awe as Arin has a hold of Suzy.

“Hit me, I fucking dare you,” Suzy grins, ”I’m sure everyone would love to see it happen.” Arin looks around at the audience they’ve managed to gather and grimaces as he lets her go.

“You’re not worth my time,” Arin brushes his shirt off, “And you’re not worth Holly’s either. Stay away from her, Berhow.” Arin stomps away, and Suzy watches with a smile.

“I promise I’ll behave, Hanson.” She calls out, fully aware of her own lie.

…

Dan and Holly had been watching the entire exchange a few tables away, shaking their heads. Holly had caught the mention of her name a few times, as did Dan.

“I don’t get their problem,” Holly mumbles as she picks at her own food.

“Arin likes to pick, and apparently she likes to pick as well.” Dan says, taking a bite of the bland sandwich the cafeteria had served him.

“Arin should know better to not threaten girls, he’s got an image to keep up with.” Holly catches Suzy’s eye again. Suzy smiles, and Holly averts her eyes and scoffs. “He shouldn’t even waste his threats on a spoiled brat like her.”

“You don’t like Suzy?” Dan questions.

“God no, I think she’s a bitch.”

“I think she’s pretty nice,” Dan smiles, “We have English together. She’s really smart. Pretty too,” Dan says the last part dreamily, and Holly gags.

“Don’t let her looks fool you, that’s how she tricks you. Besides, I thought you were gay.”

“Bisexual is more of an accurate term,” Dan corrects, “But why should that cancel me out from finding a girl attractive? You can appreciate the human form without being sexually attracted to them.”

“Now isn’t the time for an ethics lesson,” Holly says with a giggle, “I can’t stand her, that’s all.”

“I promise she’s not that bad,” Dan attempts to reason, “She’s got a temper sometimes, but that's all.” Holly glances back at Suzy once more.

“Sure.” Holly’s cheeks flush red, and she focuses back on her lunch.

…

Arin is sat at a giant table as his parents converse with the guests around them. For anniversary parties, this was definitely...one that was happening. They’d rented out the swankiest ballroom in town, and even though it was filled with the most elite Fallsen residents, it still felt off to Arin. The night just felt wrong.

Arin sighs as he leans back in his chair, scanning the room for any sign of a familiar face. He spots Suzy first, her family sat close enough to the Hansons, but just far enough that Arin didn’t have to eat with them. She’s picking at her plate again, a bored expression on her face.  _ Of course she wouldn’t be interested in something like this, _ Arin thinks to himself,  _ her only experience with parties are the kinds where her and her friends get coked out of their minds and give over the pants service to some gross LA jocks. _

His eyes keep wandering, and he spots Holly’s family. The Conrads were a soft-spoken bunch of people, always kept to themselves and were very rarely involved in controversy. The worst they had was an incident with Holly and Arin in the third grade, when Arin had been caught another boy in the coat closet and Holly had been caught holding hands with the girl who would eventually go on to be her first girlfriend. The memory sweeps through Arin's mind before he shoves it down as far as he can, remembering the details all too clearly.

His eyes continue to wander, until they land on the table of Barry and his family. They looked like they were enjoying themselves thoroughly, a rare occasion for a family like theirs, and it made Arin’s lips twitch into a small smile. His eyes drop to Barry, who’s smiling and laughing with the delightful laugh Arin had grown to love over the years.

The one he hadn’t heard all week after his run-in with Ross.

“Sorry,” Arin says as he stands up from his seat, his parents giving him a pointed expression, “I have to go talk to someone.”

“Hurry back soon, dear,” his mother says, “We wouldn’t want you to miss anything important.” He nods and quickly leaves the table, making his way to Barry.

“Barry.” Arin taps his shoulder. Once he turns around to face him, Arin grabs his forearm and pulls him out of the seat, dragging him out into the open air of the town.

“What the hell, Arin?” Barry yanks his arm out of Arin’s hold, “What do you want? Wanna talk down to me like you do everyone else?”

“Barry, please, I just want to talk,” Arin pleads, “Just hear me out please?”

“Arin, I’ve been hearing you out for years and not once have you shown any remorse or had any kind of apologetic inflection in your voice.” Barry grabs at his own hair and lets out an exasperated noise. “Arin, I love you, but you’re so fucking  _ selfish _ .”

“Barry,” Arin chokes out, tears prickling at the sides of his eyes.

“Arin, all I wanted was for you to actually be sorry for once.”

“But I am sorry.”

“But are you sorry about what you said to Ross, or are you sorry that I’m not talking to you anymore?” Arin’s demeanor changes and he looks down at the ground.

“I don’t know...both, I guess?”

“Arin, what you said to Ross was horrible. It hurt him, and it hurt me as well. You know how many times I’ve turned an eye to you shit-talking my best friend? I’m surprised he still associates himself with me after what I’ve allowed you to fucking say.”

“Well I’m fucking sorry that I can’t hold my fucking tongue!” Arin argues.

“No, you can, you just choose not to because you’re ‘Arin Hanson’, remember?”

“That’s-!” Arin tries to come up with something, but Barry was right. Arin saw nothing wrong in asserting his status over everyone he met. There wasn’t anything  _ wrong _ with that.

Right?

“I’m done with it, Arin,” Barry shakes his head, “I’m done with apologizing for stupid things and for trying to justify your shitty, selfish attitude. We’re over.”

“....what?” Arin’s voice cracks.

“When you learn to stop being selfish, you can give me a call.” Barry shoves past Arin, “I’m going back inside so I can at least try to enjoy the rest of my night.”

Arin stays stood in the same place, hand coming up to his mouth as he holds back the choked sob crawling up.

…

Suzy hated this party. It was boring in her standards, the only entertainment being the fancy champagne they were serving to everyone. Suzy looked old enough to drink, so it wasn’t hard for her to convince the server to slide her some extra shots. As she downed her drinks, she looked around the room.

She remembered seeing Arin at the head table when her family first arrived, but he had disappeared since then. Her father had also seemed to have disappeared, but that wasn’t unusual for him during social events. Her mother was at the table with her, timidly sipping on a glass of champagne and side-eyeing the other guests. Her mother was never very fond of social gatherings, always claiming that she was far too busy to waste her time interacting with others if it weren’t a business transaction. Suzy took yet another bored sip of her drink.

“You know, I shouldn’t even be allowing you to drink in front of me.” Her mother says to her. Suzy almost misses the words spoken over the static noise formulating in her head. God, she was so  _ bored _ .

“You shouldn’t have let me do a lot of things, yet here we are,” Suzy raises the glass, “In Buttfuck, Nowhere, surrounded by snobs just like us. Grade A parenting, most definitely.”

“Don’t blame my parenting on your awful attitude, young lady.”

“Wonder how I gained that attitude.” Suzy says with a roll of her eyes as she stands from her seat. From the opposite side of the room, she sees Holly doing the same.

_ Holly. _

Suzy remembers telling Arin she’d be on her best behavior around Holly, but of course that didn’t mean she couldn’t ask her what her deal was. It wouldn’t be a threat, just a simple question.

Suzy follows Holly as she walks out into the corridor, heels clicking loudly in the silence as she tries to sneak. Holly stops ahead of her, and Suzy freezes as well.

“Stop following me, Berhow,” Holly says, “It’s creepy.”

“How’d you know it was me, Conrad?”

“Honestly, I didn’t,” Holly faces Suzy, “I’m just glad that I was right, otherwise that would have been an awkward exchange.” She cracks a smile for a moment before it falls. “Why are you following me?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Suzy steps closer.

“About?”

“About why you don’t like me.”

“Oh my fucking-“ Holly groans, annoyed, “Why do you care?”

“Because people don’t just hate me for no reason,” Suzy puts her hand above her hip, “It’s usually because I slept with their boyfriend, or stuffed cocaine in their locker and got them expelled-”

“Why do you have such easy access to cocaine?” Holly interrupts.

“Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have no reason to hate me anymore. I know I was rude the first time we met, but come on, that was Monday! So much time has passed since then. Girls like you are usually falling over themselves to be friends with me.”

“Girls like me?” Holly scoffs, “What the hell do you mean by ‘girls like me’?”

“I mean innocent girls. The ones who are the teacher’s pet. Soft, pretty girls with low self-esteem who want to dip their toes into my little pool of importance, ya know?”

“Suzy, shut the fuck up.” Holly deadpans. Suzy’s eyes go wide as Holly strides up to stand in front of her. “Are you that fuckin' full of yourself?”

“Excuse me?” Suzy smiles incredulously.

“I already have to deal with Arin acting this way, so don’t think that I’m going to allow you to treat me like this to.”

“I don’t-” Holly cuts Suzy off.

“You’ve been here for less than a week and you think you can just waltz in, bat your eyes, and I’m supposed to fall to my knees and beg for you to like me in the slightest? You must be out of your fucking mind. I don’t have to like you, so stop trying to make me think you’re any better than the rest of the spoiled brats at that bougie school.” Holly turns on her heel and continues her stride down the hall. She pauses once she reaches the end and glances over her shoulder.

“Just give up, Berhow. We’re both not worth each other’s time.”

Suzy is left in the same position: hand on her hip and her mouth agape, and now left with more questions than answers.

…

Arin is sat at his family’s table, picking at the tablecloth and refusing to acknowledge any of the guests who approach him. He remains dismissive the entire night until Barry’s mother approaches him as the party is coming to a close, a panicked expression on her face.

“Arin, have you seen Barry?” She asks. Arin shakes his head, and she lets out a quiet sob. Arin shoots up from his seat.

“Why, what’s going on?”

“He never came back after you two went outside. We looked all over, but no one’s seen him.” Arin looks over to his father, who had overheard the conversation. He nods to a guard at the table, who gives a curt nod back and disappears.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Kramer,” Arin says gently, “We’ll find him.”

“Oh bless you, son, bless you.” Arin cringes inwardly at her words, but lets it slide. He’s already putting his family at work to find her son, he wouldn’t want to ruin things any further than he already felt that he had.

The guests become informed about the situation at hand, and immediately Dan is at Arin’s side. He begins barreling him with questions as they walk out of the building together.

“Dude, where could he be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did he tell you anything before he left?”

Barry’s final words to him flash through his head. “N-no,” Arin responds, voice wavering on the end.

“You sure?”

“Dan, you’re really starting to annoy me right now,” Arin walks faster in an attempt to get ahead of Dan, but Dan begins to match his speed.

“Arin, this is serious, people don’t just go missing in Fallsen.” Dan puts his arm on Arin’s shoulder, which freezes him in place, “If you know anything, you need to tell me, or someone at least.” Arin faces Dan, who’s giving him the most genuine look of concern he’d seen in a while.

“He..he told me we were over. Like, for real this time,” Arin shrugs, voice soft as he spoke, “Then he said he was going inside to try to enjoy the rest of his night. After that, nothing.”

“Arin, oh my god,” Dan pulls Arin into a hug, “I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have time to be sorry for me, Dan, you’ve gotta help find Barry.”

“But who’s gonna help you?” Arin smiles sadly. Dan was so nice to him.

“You’re so sweet, Dan,” Arin softly touches Dan’s forearm, and Dan blushes in return.

“I…” he trails off for a second as he hold Arin’s gaze. “I just really care about you.”

“I know.” There’s a silence and Arin’s hand trails up to his Dan’s cheek.

“We shouldn’t,” Dan whispers.

“What’s stopping us?” Arin pulls Dan in for a kiss. Dan doesn’t pull away, instead he places his hands on Arin’s hips and drags him closer.

“Let’s get out of here.” Dan mumbles against Arin’s lips. Arin nods in agreement, and then he’s hailing his parents’ private car and tossing both Dan and himself in the backseat, demanding the driver to take them home.


	2. Chapter 2

“We can’t keep doing this,” Arin whispers, “I have a boyfriend.” He rolls out of his bed and picks his clothes up from the floor. He pulls his shirt on before Dan speaks.

“No, you  _ had _ a boyfriend,” Dan says, sitting upright in bed, “he’s gone though.”

“He’s  _ missing _ !” Arin hisses as he sharply turns to face Dan, “Which means he can still be out there somewhere. I bet he misses me so much,” Arin trails off and bites at his nails, a nervous habit he hadn’t done in many years.

“Arin, it’s been over a month,” Dan throws his legs over the edge of the bed as he begins to collect his own clothes as well, “They’ve searched all over town. No one’s seen him and no one’s heard from him.”

“Maybe he skipped town,” Arin says hopefully.

“In the middle of the night during a party?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but it could have happened!”

“Big Cat, are you even hearing yourself?” Arin’s heart twists at the use of the pet name Dan had given him. It was too formal, something about it too sweet and genuine. He was so taken aback that he couldn’t even muster up a response.

“We just have to accept the fact that he’s gone,” Dan pulls his pants on, “And he might not be back.” Arin stares at his reflection in the mirror and sighs.

“Go home, Dan.”

“What?”

“You need to leave my house now, or I’ll rip your dick off with my bare hands.”

“Jeez, did I hit a nerve there?” Dan mumbles as he jumps out of the bed and grabs his shoes.

“Just go. Please.” Arin says, dejectedly. Dan touches his shoulder in hopes of consoling him, but Arin shrugs him off. Dan takes the hint, grabs his belongings, and leaves the room without another word.

…

Suzy taps her pen on her desk as Mr. Wecht babbles on about something from the front of the classroom. She can’t focus, her mind stuck on Holly. It had been over a month since that exchange in the hall, and on top of that, she was dealing with the disappearance of someone whom she barely knew. Holly had been noticeably distressed about it but she refused to let up when Suzy offered her comforting services.

“Ms. Berhow?” Mr. Wecht’s voice breaks through her daydreaming and Suzy drops her pen as she looks back at him. “Would you like to answer the question I asked?”

“What?”

“Exactly. Please pay attention.” Mr. Wecht says with a playful smile. Suzy blushes, obviously embarrassed. “Now, to continue what I was saying: we’re going to be doing a bit of an independent project. I’ve taken the liberty to pair you all together,” the class collectively groans, “starting with Holly.”

“Hm?” Holly perks up in her seat.

“You’ll be paired with Ms. Berhow.”

“Excuse me?” Holly and Suzy say in unison.

“Please give me anyone else but her.’ Holly begs.

“You’re both smart and hardworking, I see no reason why you would want to risk your own academics over something as silly as emotional chemistry.”

“I-” Holly starts, but silences herself quickly as she turns to face Suzy with a grimace.

“What’s up,  _ partner _ ?” Suzy smirks. Holly’s cheeks go red, and she quickly turns back in her seat without another word.

…

Ross is sat in Mr. Wecht’s classroom after school, scribbling down notes as his mind races. He’d been having a hard time focusing with the disappearance of his best friend. Even with all the time that passed, Ross was still stung about it. He couldn’t even focus well in class, something that Mr. Wecht had caught onto and had offered to help him with. That brought him to Mr. Wecht’s classroom every afternoon after the students had been dismissed for the day.

“Are you getting all of this?” Mr. Wecht asks as he faces away from the board to speak to Ross directly.

“Yes, Mr. Wecht, thank you.” Ross smiles.

“Please, you may call me Brian.” He waves his hand dismissively and goes back to talking about the lesson at hand. Ross wasn’t even sure, it had something to do with oscillations and waves or whatever. Ross just copied whatever he was seeing on the board and tried not to distract himself too much by looking at Brian.

“I really appreciate you offering to teach me after hours.” Ross says as he shuts his notebook and places it in his backpack.

“It’s the least I can do. I know you’ve been stressed about your friend.” Ross nods his head sadly.

“It’s been really hard,” Ross sighs as he stands from his desk and walks over to Brian’s, “It feels like everyone’s given up, but I’m not ready to. I mean, nothing like this happens here.”

“I beg to differ, but continue.” Brian shuffles through his desk.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean things like this happen, it’s just not spoken about,” Brian pulls out a few papers and hands them to Ross, “Kidnappings happen, they’re just kept under wraps to protect kids like you.”

“I’m not a kid, Brian.” Ross pouts.

“But you’re still not mature enough to deal with what goes on here. Now go,” Brian nods his head towards the door, “Have a good evening. And stay safe out there.”

Ross backs out of the room, eyes narrowed as he processes Brian’s words. Something about them creeped him out in a big way.

…

Sitting in Holly’s room, Suzy felt out of place. Everything was posh and pink and perfect, and Suzy felt like an ink stain on the carpet as Holly flipped through their physics textbook. She had said few words since they’d entered the room, and it felt constricting.

“So…” Suzy breaks the silence, “What are your plans for this?”

“My plans are doing this project and you staying out of my way.” Holly says, face stuck in the book.

“But we’re  _ partners _ , Holly,” Suzy frowns, “We’re supposed to be working together, remember?”

“I’ll put your name on it, you don’t even have to be here.”

“You invited me here.” Holly slams her book closed and glares at Suzy.

“I offered for you to come because that’s the polite thing to do. I don’t want you here.”

“That makes no sense, you know that, right?” Holly ignores her, and Suzy can’t hold back anymore. “What the hell is your problem with me?”

“We’ve discussed my issue already, you don’t seem to be getting the memo.” Holly retorts.

“Because you have no reason to hate me the way that you do! I just want to be your friend, for fucks’ sake, stop being so stubborn!” Suzy stand from her place on the carpet and balls her hands into fists.

“Oh go fuck yourself, now you want to be my friend? Like you weren’t saying that I was the one begging to be your friend a few weeks back.” Holly stays sat on the bed.

“It doesn’t matter!” Suzy exclaims, “You’re so fuckin’ fake! You’re kind to everyone else, but you can’t even give me a fucking smile? What the fuck is up with that?” Holly stands up from the bed, glaring at Suzy without saying a word. “Don’t have anything to say to defend yourself, huh?”

“Fuck you.” Holly grabs Suzy’s face and pulls her in, smashing their lips together. Suzy immediately goes stiff, hands unfurling and staying at her side while Holly kisses her. When she pulls away, she pushes Suzy roughly and brings her fingers to her lips, Suzy doing the same.

“I-” Suzy begins. Holly holds her hand up to stop her.

“You should go.”

“Uhh,” Suzy drags out the noise and nods, “Yeah. See you later.” Suzy grabs her things and exits the room quickly. Holly’s parents bid her a farewell, Suzy giving a bleak one in return, and she’s out into the night, dialing up her parents’ to send her a ride home.

…

“What are you talking about, Ross?” Dan asks as Ross is stood in front of him the next morning.

“I’m talking about how Mr. Wecht could know about what happened to Barry.”

“And why do you assume that?” Dan takes a sip of his orange juice.

“He was being all weird and cryptic when I mentioned Barry disappearing-” Ross waves his hands in an exaggerated fashion, “He started talking about kidnapping and how shit like that always goes down here. But I’ve never heard of people getting kidnapped, ya know? People leave, they don’t just fucking disappear.”

“He said Barry got kidnapped?”

“See?!” Ross shouts a little too loudly, causing some of the students to turn their way, “Brian knows something, and I need to figure out what it is. And that’s why I need you.”

“Oh god,” Dan groans, standing up to leave before Ross pulls him back down into the seat.

“Dan, please, just hear me out, okay?” Ross pleads. Dan looks over him for a moment before sitting back down.

“Alright, whatever,” Dan takes another sip of his drink, “What do you need from me?”

…

“When you asked me to sneak out, I didn’t know you meant we’d be going back to the fuckin’ school.” Dan huffs as Ross hands him a flashlight.

“How else were we gonna dig up dirt on Brian if we don’t start at the place we see him the most?”

“I don’t know, Ross, maybe the fuckin’ internet?”

“I tried that already, but they want you to pay ridiculous fees for tracking software and shit. I’d rather just go out and get shit done myself.”

“Then why’d you ask me to come out?”

“Um, there could be someone out here snatching teenagers. I’ll need someone else here to help me fight them off.”

“Ross, we have been through this countless times before: I can barely protect myself, let alone you.”

“Then you’re my shield until I can escape and call the proper authorities.” Ross pushes open the school doors and lets Dan enter.

“Wow, that doesn’t make me feel useless,” he mumbles under his breath.

“You’re not useless if you’re a shield! I consider you to be of the most use if you’re a shield.”

“Alright, alright,” Dan cuts the conversation and turns on his flashlight, “Where are we looking first?”

“Let’s check out his classroom. He’s probably hiding some shit there.”

“Hell, he’s probably sleeping there,” Dan offers, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him leave, not even after those homecoming games.”

“Does he even have a home to go to?” Ross chuckles, mainly to himself. They amble down the hall until they reach Brian’s classroom. A small desk lamp is providing barely enough light in the room, but it gives them enough to know that someone was there recently.

“Shit, so someone’s definitely living here.” Dan whispers to Ross.

“Either that or the janitors are here. Let’s check the locker room,” Ross grabs Dan’s hand and leads him down the corridor, “I know the janitors usually shower here after hours.”

“How do you know that?”

“None of your business, that’s how.” Ross hears the sound of water running, indicating that they were close to the locker rooms and indicating another presence. “Someone’s here.”

“A janitor, maybe?”

“Maybe. Let’s go in.” Dan nods in agreement, and they tread quietly into the locker room. As if they’d been sensed, the water goes off and the pair scrambles to hide in the shadows. They hear the slap of wet footsteps on linoleum as a figure appears from the showers. Ross squints through the mist and spots him: Mr. Wecht.

“It’s him,” Ross mouths to Dan. Brian grabs a towel and dries his hair off before wrapping it around his waist. He walks closer to the shadowed area that Ross and Dan are hidden, causing the pair to grow anxious. It’d put them into a terrible position for them to be caught in the school this late at night, especially in the locker room.

Ross couldn’t keep his eyes off of Brian. He didn’t expect to be seeing this much of him all at once. Not that he was complaining, of course, but it was still a rush to be here. To be breaking so many rules all at once...to be faced with such danger.

“Ross, your boner is poking me in the back.” Dan whispers, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry!” Ross juts his hips back and keeps his eyes on Brian, who stops in front of a locker and inputs a combination. The placement looked all too familiar.

“Isn’t that Barry’s locker?” Dan asks. Ross nods and puts his hand over Dan’s mouth, needing complete silence to take in the scene completely.

Brian opens the locker and begins pulling out clothes, ending on a leather jacket with a patch on the shoulders. Ross leans closer to get a better view, and nearly drops his flashlight when he catches sight of the insignia.

“Manticores,” Ross whispers under his breath. Brian’s head whips towards the noise, and Ross swears that he saw them. He shakes his head and turns his back towards them, revealing a much larger scale tattoo of the insignia on his back. Once his back is turned, Ross grabs for Dan’s hand and they slowly guide themselves out of the locker room and into the hallway, where they dash towards the nearest exit.


	3. Chapter 3

“What the fuck do we do,” Ross whispered to Dan as they watched Mr. Wecht through his classroom window the next morning, “He’s a fucking Manticore, he could have been responsible for Barry’s disappearance!”

“What kind of gang calls themselves the Manticores,” Dan mutters under his breath before responding to Ross, “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Just because he’s a Manticore doesn’t mean he’s responsible for what happened.”

“He pulled the fucking jacket out of Barry’s locker, that’s suspicious as all fuckin’ hell.”

“It’s suspicious, yeah,” Dan nods, “But it doesn’t automatically mean he’s involved.”

“Dan, we have to do something!” Ross says a little too loud.

“Do something about  _ what _ ?” Arin glides up from behind them, pulling them apart to stand between the pair.

“Nothing!” Dan says quickly, stepping away from Ross. Ross pouts, glaring at Arin.

“Oh great, you still exist.” Ross mutters.

“And you smell like a bukkake.” Arin retorts. Ross flips him off, and Dan coughs to catch their attention.

“Ross and I were just talking about Mr. Wecht, we wanna do something about how underappreciated he is.”

“Underappreciated? He’s like the most loved teacher in the entire faculty, what more can you do besides give him a raise?” Arin quirks an eyebrow as he awaits Dan’s response.

“Parties are always nice,” Ross mutters beside them.

“See! That’s good, we should throw him a party.” Dan pats Ross’s shoulder.

“Oh, cut the shit,” Arin points his finger between the two, “You’re both lying. Dan, you don’t even like Ross, you guys couldn’t even fuck together.”

“Arin!” Dan hisses, voice cracking.

“What, it’s true, why would you want to spend your time with this fucking low rank has-been?”

“Arin, cut the shit.” Dan demands. Arin immediately shuts up, continuing to grimace at Ross. “Just...let me and Ross work together, okay? You don’t have to be so attached to me.” Arin frowns at Dan’s words.

“Fine,” he walks around Ross once more, putting his face right next to his as he spits out the last words, “Whatever. Have fun.” He struts down the hall, each step a scornful sound.

“Why are his panties in such a twist,” Ross grumbles.

“He’s always like this.”

“Yeah,” Ross rubs at the back of his neck, “I appreciate you stopping him, though.”

“It’s whatever,” Dan gives a sheepish smile, “Arin’s not that scary once you’ve got him all figured out.” Dan says this in a breathy tone, and Ross’s suspicions heighten. Something happened between the two, Ross could sense it, but he felt it wasn’t in his right sense to call it out. Not yet, at least.

…

Suzy had been trying to follow up with Holly ever since she’d kissed her, but Holly was seemingly avoiding her at every turn. In class, Holly refused to speak her, she didn’t answer the door when Suzy would come over. Holly even ignored her when Suzy asked Dan to speak to her on her own behalf. Holly was being distant, and it was beginning to piss Suzy off. So much so that Suzy decided to take matters into her own and target Holly in the hallway. Once she found her, she pulled her by her arm until they were inside the conveniently empty girl’s bathroom.

“What the hell?” Holly argues as Suzy locks the door behind them.

“You’ve been ignoring me, and I don’t like it.”

“Are you serious, with this shit again?”

“Yes, with this shit again!” Suzy snaps, “You don’t just fucking kiss someone and then ignore them, Holly, that’s not how this shit works!”

“How the fuck would you know how anything works? Have you ever been stood up or talked down to or even lied to about feelings?”

“Yes, and two of those have been by you!” Suzy exclaims, pointing her finger at Holly, “You’ve talked down to me and you’ve been standing me up on our project for weeks now, and for what? Some stupid interaction from when we first met?”

“It’s not just that!” Holly shouts, “You acted like I was supposed to succumb to your wishes just because you were a pretty girl, that you could just bat your beautiful eyes and I’d just let you walk all over me again!” Holly’s eyes were welling with tears, and Suzy felt that this anger wasn’t meant for her.

“'Again'? Holly, I never met you before that day, what are you talking about?”

“Just  **_shut up_ ** !” Holly cries, stomping up to Suzy and pulling her in for yet another kiss. Suzy still couldn’t pull away, stunned by Holly’s forwardness. This time, there was something different to Holly’s gesture. It was more passionate, more heartfelt, with a twinge of sadness to it. Suzy pulls away this time, and Holly dashes to the door, quickly unlocking it and yanking it open. She looks back at Suzy one last time, her eyes red and wet, then she’s rushing out of the room and leaving Suzy alone once again.

…

The drive home from school that day is stressful. Suzy can’t remember anything from the day except for Holly’s kiss. It was invading her thoughts, the way Holly’s voice broke while speaking to her. Suzy couldn’t deny it, she liked her. But she also pitied her.

Her thoughts are brushed to the side once she arrives home and is greeted by her parents,who are smiling wide. Climbing out of the car, Suzy gives them a puzzled expression.

“What’s up, parentals?” She says suspiciously.

“We have a big surprise for you.”

“Oh my god, can we go back to LA?” Suzy asked excitedly.

“No, but we bought some of LA to you.” Her father smiles down at her mother, and it takes Suzy a second to theorize once again.

“Oh god, you didn’t!” Suzy clapped her hands, “Did you bring back my entire wardrobe?” Her mother chuckles.

“Suzanne, dear, go upstairs and check the guest bedroom.” Suzy wasted no time dashing inside of their home and running to the guest bedroom. She burst through the door, expecting to be greeted with more clothes, but the sight she was welcomed to was far less exciting. There was a boy, sprawled out on the guest bed. His style screamed refined hipster punk, one that matched her own, and his lips were stretched into a salacious smile.

“Well, well, well,” he says in a teasing voice, “Look what the cat dragged in.”

“Nathan?”

“Surprise!”

…

Arin sits atop a table in the cafeteria, looking over the students. Suzy hadn’t arrived yet, and he knew that was means for some trouble.

Arin had learned all about Suzy’s little tricks with Holly the other day, and was not the least bit happy about it. Yes, he knew that Holly had kissed Suzy first, but he didn’t care. Suzy had no business being that close to Holly.

Arin immediately locks onto Suzy as she steps into the cafeteria, and he’s ready to go into attack mode, until he catches sight of the guy beside her. He was...definitely new. Suzy nodded her head to Arin as they both walked by, hand on her hip and his hand stuffed in his pocket. He winked to Arin, who blushed but didn’t return it.

“Who was that?” Dan asks from beside him. Arin had forgotten Dan was beside him, and was nearly spooked off of the table from the abrupt presence.

“Fuck!” Arin yelps, “Jesus, Dan, alert someone of your fucking presence, you fucking clod.”

“Watch it, Hanson,” Dan nudges Arin, “That’s not very nice, now is it?” Arin squints his eyes, and Dan just smirks before Arin continues.

“Anyway, to answer your question, I have no idea who that guy was with Suzy. He shouldn’t have been winking at me, that’s for sure. I know I’m a hot piece of ass and everything-”

“I thought he was winking at me?” Dan interrupts. Arin whips his head back to Dan, glaring at him.

“Oh really now?”

“Yeah,” Dan blushes, “I saw him in the hall earlier, he was eyeing me hard. He’s kind of cute.” Arin had to hold back his gag as he scoffs.

“Please, have better standards, he’s so... _ basic _ .”

“I’m pretty basic, I say we make a good match.”

“Dan, if you were basic, I wouldn’t have slept with you,” Arin pats Dan’s head, “Speaking of sex: are you and Ross fucking again?” Dan begins to sputter out his words.

“ _ What _ ? Of course not,” Dan tells him, “We just...have a common interest lately, which is bringing us together.”

“The only common interest you both have is fucking hot guys that just so happen to be me, so what gives?”

“Excuse me?” Arin’s eyes go wide, realizing what he just said.

“Nothing, anyway, why are you two hanging out now?” Dan gives him a shifty look before he continues.

“It’s nothing, okay?”

“Well, if it’s nothing, come to my house this Friday?” Arin slides his hand on top of Dan’s, but he quickly pulls it away.

“I can’t. I’m meeting with Ross that day.”

“Oh you’ve got to be  _ fucking _ kidding me.” Arin whined, “Just fucking drop the act and tell me you two are fucking already so that we can get to stopping that mistake.”

“Arin, relax. It’s not sex...it’s just business.” With that, Dan’s patting Arin’s hand and leaving the cafeteria, Arin scowling at him the entire time. He was going to figure it out sooner or later.

…

Ross was growing impatient as he waited for Dan inside the school. He had went off to check on a noise in the locker room, urging Ross to stay behind just in case. It had been over 15 minutes and Dan hadn’t returned, causing Ross to grow rather annoyed.

“Well, well, well,” Arin smirks from behind Ross, “I didn’t take you for someone who trespasses.” Ross silently fumes as he spins on his heel to face Arin.

“How did you get in?”

“I have my ways,” Arin’s smirk doesn’t leave his face.

“You followed us, didn’t you?” Arin’s smile drops from his face.

“Shut up. Anyway, why are you and Dan here after hours, huh?” Arin begins circling around Ross, “You trying to get into his pants? Trying to get back what you can never have again?”

“No, Arin, it’s not like that,” Ross explains.

“Then what is it?” Arin hisses, “Why are you and Dan on speaking terms again? I thought you both indefinitely called it quits junior year.”

“That is none of your business, Arin, so I’d prefer you just fuck off.” Arin clicks his tongue.

“You can’t just get rid of me, O’Donovan and you know that.”

Ross growls in exasperation, throwing his hands up to his hair and pulling at the strands. “Where in the  _ fuck _ is Dan, anyway?”

“You lost him?” Arin rolls his eyes, “What kind of fuck buddy are you, can’t even keep track of the dick you rode in on?”

“Oh my god, Arin, fuck off before I actually kill you," He shines his flashlight down the hall, "Either follow or fucking leave.” Arin huffs as he chooses ws closely behind him. They stroll down the hall until they reach the locker room. There are muted noises of shuffling and Ross turns to Arin, pressing his finger to his lips before bursting into the room.

“Daniel, what are you-!” Ross shouts before his words are cut off in shock of the scene before him.

Dan’s pinned to the bench by Nate and both of their faces are flushed, lips red and swollen. Dan’s got hickies forming on his collarbone and his pants are slightly undone. Nate’s missing his shirt completely, and within seconds he’s smirking at Ross and Arin.

“Hello, boys. Lovely to see you.”

“Oh you fucking twunk piece of shit,” Arin growls, stomping towards him before being pulled back by Ross.

“Arin, stop!” Ross scolds. Arin struggles in Ross’s grip before the locker room door slams open once more, revealing Brian to be standing amongst them.

“What the hell are you all doing here, it’s nearly midnight!” He demands, eyes darting to Nate and Dan on the bench, “And what are you two doing?”

“Uh...uh,” Dan stutters.

“You know what, I don’t care,” Brian pinches the bridge of his nose, “I’ll be seeing you all in detention for the next week. And if you don’t come for  _ any _ reason, know that you’ll greatly regret it.” Brian deadpans. “Now let’s go, I’m calling your guardians to come pick you all up.”

“Oh fucking great,” Nate mutters under his breath as he climbed off of Dan, “Not only do I get cockblocked, but now I’ve got detention. Good timing, assholes.” Nate snatches his shirt from off the ground and elbows past Arin and Ross, who both give him a piercing glare that is soon aimed at Dan, who smiles sheepishly.

“Oh, by the way,” Dan says, “Nate’s here.”

“Shut up, Dan.” Ross sighs, shaking his head.

…

The next afternoon, Brian is sat at the front of his classroom while Ross, Arin, Nate, and Dan are all placed in desks in each corner of the room. His only rule for detention was to keep quiet until Brian dismissed them, but of course Arin couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Fucking Nate, of all people,” His gaze burns into the back of Nate’s head, “You really had to get your dick wet with the Cali trash?”

“Oh calm yourself, princess,” Nate mocks from the front of the class, “You’re probably just pissed that I got to him before you did.”

“Oh go fuck yourself, you inked mess, you have no idea what I’ve done with him.”

“Arin!” Dan hisses from his corner, “Just fucking shut up, please.”

“No, go on, I’m intrigued, now,” Nate taunts, “You think you’ve given Dan a better time than I did?”

“Of course,” Arin says, “If I had sex with him, that is.” He adds quickly.

“Oh my fucking god, Arin, you  _ didn’t _ ,” Ross scoffs, turning to face him, “Are you really that fucking low? Fucking my ex?”

“He didn’t have sex with me.” Dan grumbles, “Let’s just fucking drop this, please.”

“No,” Ross shakes his head in disapproval, “We’re not dropping this, is that seriously why you were so fucking persistent about my sexual relationship with Dan?”

“No, he just had no interest hanging with you until recently and that seemed like the behavior of someone who was fucking their ex again.” Arin explains.

“No, but that seems like something you seem to fucking do.”

“Oh you fucking asshole-” Arin is cut off by the classroom door slamming open and Holly rushing in.

“They found him!” She says in a panic. Arin shoots up from his desk. “They found Barry.”

Arin’s heart rate picks up in pace at the words, but it quickly drops when he takes notice of the look on Holly’s face. She looks shocked, terrified, perturbed even.

Something was wrong.

“Oh my fucking god,” Arin croaks, and he’s rushing out of the classroom. Dan and Ross follow closely behind him as he follows Holly’s path to the locker room.

“Please no, please no,  _ please- _ ” Arin repeats in his head as he's greeted with yellow tape and officers rushing around. He peeks through the chaos and spots him: Barry.

_ His _ Barry.

Body pale and bruised and lifeless.

Arin’s shrill scream is deafening and followed by his own set of darkness as he crumples to the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Arin stares off into the distance as numerous people walk by him. He tries to center himself as he remembers where he is.

It had been a week since they’d found Barry’s body at the school, and Arin had been devoid of all emotion since then. Who in their right mind would be normal after their boyfriend had been found dead? So here he sat, amongst Barry’s family and their peers, in the Kramer household to pay their respects.

“I just can’t believe it,” Dan murmurs under his breath, “This never happens.” Dan sniffles, and Nate places his hand on Dan’s shoulder.

“Yeah, babe, I thought this place was better than this.” He offers as solace.

“God, who would even fucking do this?” Holly blubbers, wiping at her face with a tissue and placing her hand atop Suzy’s. Suzy flips her palm to hold Holly’s hand in her, giving it a light squeeze.

“They haven’t even been able to turn over the body to the family yet because they’re still conducting an autopsy or some shit. Like it shouldn’t take so long, right?”

“Google says some take up to six weeks to prepare,” Ross pulls his phone up to Suzy, showing her the screen, “and since they’ve already classified this as a murder, it could be looking like that amount.”

“But his body was all in one piece.” Suzy argues, “It shouldn’t take this long.”

“It was also too fresh, so that means he was alive the entire month he was missing.” Ross explains.

“If I find the fucker who did this to him, I’ll fucking kill him with my beautiful bare hands,” Arin mutters, looking down at his palms with an intense gaze.

“Keep it calm, Pageant Queen,” Nate says, “Let the police handle this. Don’t wanna get your hands dirty.”

“Shut your fucking mouth, degenerate, who allowed you to speak to me?” Arin sneers.

“I’m offering comfort,” Nate quips, “Don’t be fucking rude.”

“I get to act however I fucking want.”

“ _ Not- _ ” Dan hisses to the both of them, “Here. You’re here to pay your blessings, not have a bitching session. Now shut up and act like neither of you exist, for Barry’s sake.”

Arin and Nate exchange heated glances before Arin turns up his nose and angles his body away from the pair. He swings his leg back and forth, mind racing.

…

It was unusual for things to feel so bleak in Fallsen, but after the murder of Barry, it was as if the world stood still. His parents stopped leaving the house, the local schools began incorporating safety lessons and the dangers of being out late, the town even established a new curfew, attempting to reduce the possibility of something like that happening again. It was a welcome change, but that wouldn’t bring anyone back. It didn’t relieve any pain.

Ross found no solace in these lessons, he almost found them mocking. Why weren’t they teaching these before Barry’s disappearance? Why design a lesson after the disappearance becomes a murder? Where were these resources before this had all happened?

“This is bullshit,” Ross mutters during one of the “safety” lessons, “This gonna last for the rest of the school year until it fades out and everyone stops caring.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t seem like they’re making this a permanent thing,” Dan whispers back, “It feels kind of futile, you know?”

“Like I said, it’s bullshit.”

“You wanna know what’s really bullshit?” Ross perks up and waits for Dan’s response, “Barry was found in the locker room, but we’d been searching there all week. So how the hell could we have missed that?”

“That’s been bothering me, yeah,” Ross faces Dan, “Like, was Barry there the entire time or was he placed there?”

“Fuck, you think someone planted his body there?”

“That seems like the only possible explanation. Reports said that the athletes were complaining about the place smelling like a dead corpse the day Barry was found, but not any day before that.”

“But the day Barry was found was the day after we’d all been caught by Brian in the locker room…” Ross trails off before coming back with a different point, “Speaking of, why was Nate with you in the locker room?”

Dan’s face flushes and he starts stuttering.

“I don’t know, he just, uh, was there?”

“Did he know about us being there?”

“No, of course not,” Dan averts his eyes back to the board, “Let’s focus on the lesson, now.”

“Dan, we both agreed this lesson was bullshit, come on now.” Dan ignores him. Ross huffs and turns back to the board himself.

…

“I need to talk to you.” Ross demands as he corners Nate in the hallway.

“Because?”

“Just fucking come with me.” Nate shrugs and follows Ross out into the courtyard.

“What did ya need?” Nate leans against the metal stair railing, rubbing at his neck.

“The night we caught you and Dan…” Ross pauses as his cheeks heat up, “In the locker room-”

“Don’t be shy, baby, just spit it out.” Nate teases.

“Don’t ever fucking call me baby, again,” Ross threatens, “Anyway, my question is: why were you there?” Nate raises his eyebrow.

“I...was there for Dan.”

“He fucking told you we’d be there?”

“Dude, I’d been seeing him in that locker room all week.” Ross feels his eye twitch, but he lets Nate continue. “First time was an accident, second time was planned, third time I fucking took him to another dimension in those showers.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Ross covers his ears, “I don’t wanna hear anymore.”

“You asked, dude, don’t get butthurt because I told.”

“Whatever, Nate,” Ross says, “You’d been there every night while me and Dan were there….how did you even manage a quickie?”

“He came back after you left.”

“No wonder Dan always came back disheveled,” Ross mumbles to himself, “Why were you there the first time?”

“Was looking for some shit to wreck late at night,” Nate shrugs, “That physics teacher dude was in the showers before I got here, why don’t you interrogate him instead.” Ross groans. This was getting him nowhere.

“Because you were there! You’re a suspect!”

“I didn’t even know you’re fucking friend or whatever,” Nate says angrily, “I just got here, remember?”

“Yeah, but that didn’t stop you from fucking my ex, now did it?”

“Oh please, you act as if there’s a chance you and him will ever get back together.” Ross scoffs in response.

“As if,” he says, “Why, did he say anything about me?” He sounds too hopeful. Nate catches on by the sneer he delivers in return.

“Yeah, said you fucked someone else while you two were together and that he wouldn’t risk putting his heart on the line with you again.” Ross clutches at his chest, pushing down the pang of heartache that derives from that statement. “Are we done here? I want to go eat.”

“Just go.” Ross shoos him away. Nate goes back inside without another word, Ross following shortly behind. He was running in circles in his investigation now. With Dan focused on Nate, as it seems, Ross was alone.

Except for one person.

…

“I can’t believe I fucking agreed to do this with you.” Arin complains as him and Ross trek through the darkness on a path to their school. Ross had approached him earlier that day, damn near pleading for someone to come with him to figure out more on Barry’s death. Arin had reluctantly agreed. He was willing to put aside his absolute hatred of Ross if it meant avenging the death of the man he loved.

“We both want the same outcome. Stop whining and suck it up, bitch.” chided Ross, backpack slung over his shoulder, full of flashlights, pens, and other items he’d thought would be useful.

“I know, I just...would rather not have to do this,” Arin says quietly as they walk.

“Why, don’t wanna be out here in the night air like the rest of us?”

“While that’s true, It’s more than that,” Arin looks up at the sky while they walked, “I meant I didn’t want to have to be doing this, ever. Like...who wants to deal with the death of someone you held close to your heart?”

Ross continues to walk, not wanting to stop Arin. This had been the longest he’d gone without insulting him in his presence.

“Barry meant the world to me, Ross, and having to avenge his  _ murder _ ? It’s..more than I can even  _ pretend  _ to handle.” Arin gets choked up, and he stops talking soon after. They continue ahead, a thick silence shrouding them like a blanket. Ross wanted to offer something, but what could he say? Arin had never been this honest about anything with him. He’d never been this honest with Ross _ ever _ . He wouldn’t want to spoil it.

“Whoa, hold on,” Ross puts his hand out to stop Arin in his tracks as he spots red and blue lights up ahead, “Fuck, what time is it?”

“I don’t know, like 10 or 10:30, why?”

“Oh my god, I forgot about that stupid fuckin’ curfew.” Ross slams his palms to his forehead, “We need to get out of here, before they arrest us or fine us or some shit.”

“Ross, you’re 18, you don’t have to worry about the curfew, right?”

“If I’m still attending school, I do.”

“That’s total bullshit.”

“Look, no time to complain about politics,” the red and blue lights are coming closer, “We need to get out of here now!”

“We’ve already walked like 3 miles, my feet are killing me!” Arin whines.

“Arin!” Ross shouts, “Let’s go!” Arin makes an attempt to run with Ross, and almost on cue, the police sirens begin to blare and the lights catch up to them sooner than expected. Ross curses under his breath as his dash turns into a jog before he comes to a full stop.

“You boys know what time it is?” The officer in the car presses.

“Yes sir.” They reply in unison.

“What ya got in that bag, son?” The officer points to Ross’s backpack, and he gulps.

“N-nothing, sir.”

“Nothing, huh?” Ross nods. “Then show it to me.” The blood drains from Ross’s face as he takes the bag off of his shoulder and hands it to the officer. The officer unzips it and shines a light inside. He makes a low hum, one of disapproval, and Ross curses under his breath again.

“Why don’t you two climb in the back?”

“Dammit.” Ross says out loud.

…

“Wanna tell me why you two were sneaking out with a bag full of flashlights, paper, and rope?” The officer, whose name was Jake to Ross’s disapproval, questions.

“We were….just going for a stroll, officer.”

“Uh huh. Were you planning some kind of murder-suicide thing?” Arin snorts from beside Ross.

“Please, he can barely lift me, you think he’d be able to fucking kill me?” Arin snorts again, finding great humor in the situation.

“Arin, please,” Ross demands, “You’re not gonna make this better for us.”

“Oh, you’re the Hanson boy, aren’t you?” Arin sits up straight in his chair, eager at the chance to brag about himself.

“Why yes, of course,” He flips his hair back and is ready to speak before he’s cut off once more.

“Mm, your parents just recently fired my father because they believe he’s to blame for your little boyfriend not being found in time. Isn’t that crazy?” Jake leans on the table and shoots daggers at Arin, “Over 50 years on the force, and your family  _ cuts him off _ because of something he tried his hardest to solve.” Arin stares back, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Ross can tell that Arin wants so badly to say something in return, but is holding back.

“That’s why we were out.” Arin blurts out, much to Ross’s dismay.

“Excuse me?”

“Ross and I wanted to find out what could have happened to Barry,” Arin begins, “because god, it’s such a rare occurrence for something like this to happen here, but you stopped us before we could go look.”

“It’s not your job to investigate something that the force is already trying to figure out.”

“Do you have any suspects yet?” Ross chimes in.

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Yes you do.” Arin says.

“Is this your way of turning yourselves in?” Jake asks, confused.

“God no, why would I kill my own boyfriend? That’s trashy, plus I’d hate to get blood on my hands,” Arin crosses his legs, “But I do know who could be responsible.”

“Oh do you?”

“We were there the night before the body was found,” Arin reveals, “you honestly think we don't have any leads?” Jake squints at Arin, and Arin smirks back.

“Alright then, kid,” Jake pulls out a notepad and a pen, “Start talking and I might be able to let you guys off with a warning.”

…

Morning comes quicker than usual for Suzy. It could be because she wasn’t sleeping in her own bed, and the body wrapped around hers was an unusual circumstance, one that she was still getting used to.

“Babe, wake up,” Suzy nudged the body beside her, and they groaned in response.

“Mmm, wanna stay here,” they murmured.

“Holly, come on, we have school,” She laughs. Holly opens one of her eyes slowly, and smiles wide when she sees Suzy.

“Mornin’,” Suzy leans down and kisses Holly’s forehead.

“Morning, beautiful.” Holly blushes.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you calling me that.”

“That’s fine with me,” Suzy stands up from the bed and grabs her shirt off the floor, “because I know you’ll still be okay with me saying it.”

“Yeah,” Holly smiles to herself.

“Now come on, I want to be early for once.” Suzy jokes, pulling Holly out of bed. The pair get dressed, Suzy briefly peeking back to admire Holly, and once they’re out the door they link arms and begin the walk to school.

“You know I could have called a car for us?” Suzy reminds Holly, “At least that would give us more privacy than this walk.”

“I know, but it’s a nice morning out. Let’s admire it, okay?”

“I’d have more fun admiring you.” Suzy bumps Holly’s shoulder, and the girl blushes and giggles.

“God, you’re being very generous with compliments lately,” Holly gives Suzy’s arm a light squeeze.

“Well yeah,” She smiles, “I want to make up for lost time.” Holly’s laugh drifts off and she gives Suzy a solemn look.

“I..I really do like you, Suzy. But can you promise that we can take this at my pace?”

“Of course, Hols,” Suzy agrees, “I want to be happy with this the same way you do, and if it means I gotta tone down on some of my shit, then that’s fine.” Holly smiles.

“Cool.”

“Cool.” Suzy says, leaning in to kiss Holly’s cheek, which she readily accepts. They continue the walk to school in an acceptable silence until they reach the school, where they’re greeted to police cars and crowds of people shouting. Holly catches sight of Arin, and she pulls Suzy over to them.

“Arin, what the hell is going on,” she asks, “What’s with the crowds and the police?”

“We did something.” Arin whispers. Holly hadn’t noticed Ross beside him, who was wearing a panicked expression.

“What did you do?” Suzy coaxes. A roar of the crowd alerts their attention to the school doors. Filing out of the building are several officers, followed by Dan, Mr. Wecht, and Nate. They’re all being lead out by police in handcuffs, and Suzy squeezes Holly’s arm a bit too tightly when she spots Nate. “Hanson, O’Donovan, what the fuck did you do?”

“We caught them.” Ross says in a shaky voice.

“Caught who, what the fuck are you talking about?” Suzy asks.

“Them,” Arin nods his head to the handcuffed trio, “The assholes who fucking killed my boyfriend.”


End file.
